A Trip Full of Firsts
Jordan Sanders at Mammoth Cave National Park, NCHC Partners in the Parks 2024
Jordan Sanders, Queens University of Charlotte
“A trip full of firsts” is how I would describe my Partners in the Park experience. A trip that was miles outside of my comfort zone, and I didn’t know if it would be something I could do on my own. I had never even taken a plane before, and certainly not much about cave exploration!
Nevertheless, the trip was exhilarating and bolstered my interest in the natural sciences. I attended the trip to Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the longest cave system in the world. I’ve visited various caverns in North Carolina, but none of them amounted to the grand 426 miles of cave we explored on the trip. The first day there was exciting but equally as nerve-racking. Once we arrived on-site, we began exploring the Historic entrance of the cave. This consisted of most of the sights that standard cave tours in the park view.
At this point in the trip, we started learning about the complex history of the cave. We learned mainly about the role of the cave during the War of 1812 as it was the biggest source of saltpeter for America at the time. It was also where we learned of the cave’s complicated history with slavery, as African American labor is what contributed to the successes of saltpeter production and cave tourism.
Later in the week we visited some of the surface sites in the park to understand both the geology and hydrology of the cave system, as well as the relationship it has with wildlife in the area. A day on the trip that I really enjoyed was the day that we went kayaking down the Green river, a major body of water in the park. This would be my very first-time kayaking, and I was more than elated to give it a try. On our ride, we spotted a lot of local wildlife like turtles and otters, and even a bald eagle. The Green River is not only a habitat for many of these animals, but for some species it’s essential. Various species of freshwater mussels depend on the currents in the river to reproduce, and without it, they would become endangered. We also got to experience “wild caving” where we suited up in pads and helmets to delve into deeper parts of the cave system. I was a bit hesitant to embark on the journey, but so were the other honors students. We all encouraged each other to try new things and challenge ourselves on this trip. It’s a component that made everything worthwhile throughout the trip. Collaborating and connecting with other honors student across the country and doing these experiences for the first time together fostered bonds that made the journey more invigorating. I could not have asked for a better group of honors students.
This Partners in the Park experience will always be something that I remember not only for the things that I learned and the experiences that I earned, but the friendships I made also.
